Bottle suspending device



y 8, 1957 R. F. JOHNSON BOTTLE SUSPENDING DEVICE Filed Jan. 12, 1954 United States Patent Offi ce 2,793,901 Patented May 28, 1957 BOTTLE SUSPENDING DEVICE Rolande F. Johnson, Mankato, Minn.

Application January 12, 1954, Serial No. 403,587

6 Claims. (Cl. 294-27) This invention relates to appa-rtaus for suspending and carrying bottles and the like.

It is often convenient and desirable to suspend a bottle from a hook or other similar support. This is especially true when an infant is traveling with the family in an automobile. His necessary nursing bottles need to be kept handy while he is not feeding from them. Such bottles may be kept accessible but out of the way by suspending them from the knobs on the dashboard of the car. Here they are comparatively safe and easy to reach. For the older children, this is an equally convenient storage place for soda bottles and the like.

It is also frequently convenient to carry bottles, or other similarly shaped and bulky articles, by means of a cord or the like. This is especially true when a person is laden with many other parcels and the bulk of his load may be reduced by carrying the bottles by a cord or the like.

Heretofore, apparatus which have ben developed for suspending and carrying bottles have had serious disadvantages which prevented them from coming into common use. One of the main disadvantages of these apparatus is that they do not provide a positive and tightly gripping engagement with the bottle. This major disadvantage is at least a source of inconvenience and nuisance for the user of the apparatus when the bottle falls out of it. Other disadvantages have been that such apparatus could not be readily attached to the bottle; would interfere, when attached, with the capping of the bottle; and were not applicable to bottles varying in size.

A general object of my invention is to provide a bottl-e suspending and carrying apparatus of simple and inexpensive construction and operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide apparatus which is readily attached to bottles of variable size to provide convenient suspending means by which the bottle may be carried or suspended from a hook or other support on a wall or surface, such as by suspend" ing a nursing bottle from a knob on the dashboard of an automobile.

Another object of my invention is to provide a selftightening bottle carrier that will tighten its grip on a suspended bottle when the weight thereof is carried by it.

A further object of my invention is to provide selftightening apparatus for suspend-ing a bottle and including guiding means operating therewith, which combine to insure positive gripping of the bottle by the suspending apparatus even when the weight of the bottle is momentarily removed from the apparatus.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a self-tightening bottle carrier which operates in combination with guiding means on the cap for the bottle and which does not interfere with the capping and uncapping operation or with the removing the contents from the bottle.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of my apparatus;

Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show side elevational views of my apparatus attached to a bottle.

One embodiment of my invention, as shown in the accompanying figures, includes apparatus for suspending a bottle B or the like which has a bead E or enlargement extending outwardly from the upper end of the bottle. My apparatus includes a flexible and elon gated member 10, such as an integral and continuous cord. The cord includes suspending portions 11 which extend upwardly from opposite sides of the bottle B, and which may be connected at their upper ends. The cord also includes a bight portion 12 or loop which joins the suspending portions 11. The bight portion 12 extends substantially half-way around the bottle.

I also include, in the specified embodiment of my invention, a yoke member 13 or a substantially tubular element which may be flexible. The yoke member 13, as shown, is curved as it extends substantially half-way around the bottle and engages both the outer periphery of the bottle and the lower portion of the bead.

The cord 19 extends through the yoke member 13 from one of its suspending portions 11. The cord then makes a full convolution and it passes through the yoke member 13 again to form the bight portion 12 between the two ends of the yoke member 13. The suspending portions 11 of the cord extend upwardly from the respective ends of the yoke member.

I also include, in the embodiment of my invention shown, a suitable bottle closure 14, such as a bottle cap, that closely fits onto the end of the bottle to close the opening therein. The bottle cap 14 has suitable guiding mechanism 15 afiixed thereto for guiding the upwardly extending suspending portions 11 of the cord 10. These guiding mechanisms 15 may be in the form of ears which extend outwardly from opposite'sides of the cap and'extend beyond the outer periphery of the bottle. Each of the ears 15 have a hole extending therethrough in a direction longitudinal of the bottle. The upwardly extending suspending portions 11 of the cord 10 pass through the holes in the respective cars 15 and are guided thereby.

In operation the yoke member 13 and the bight portion 12 of the cord, which are interconnected, combine to completely encircle the bottle, as when an upwardly directed force is applied to the suspending portions 11 of the cord, the cord shifts in the yoke member 13 to shorten the bight portion 12. This causes the bight portion 12 and the yoke member 13 to tightly engage the periphery of the bottle, and the bottle may then be suspended from the cord. The cooperative guiding of the suspending portions 11 of the cord directs their shifting in a proper direction, relative to the position of the yoke member 13, to positively pull the yoke member 13 and the bight portion 12 into effective bottle-gripping relationship. The yoke member 13 and bight portion thereby combine to engage the entire outer periphery of the bottle and the bead and to constitute bottle-supporting members.

To remove the bottle suspending apparatus from the bottle, the bight portion must be lengthened. When the weight of the bottle is removed from the suspending apparatus, the bight portion must be pulled in order to be lengthened. This is caused by the friction between the yoke member and the cord passing therethrough. Therefore, the bottle-suspending apparatus will not lose its grip on the bottle if the weight thereof is temporarily removed from the apparatus.

Wherever, in these specifications and in the appended claims, the term substantially tubular element is named, a broad significance is to be given thereto. It is meant to include at least an elongated tubular member, a tubular element which is split in the exterior portions a plurality of coaxial and adjacent annular rings which are joined together, and a band having transverse annular straps affixed thereto at intermediate portions along its length.

It will be seen that I have provided a bottle carrying apparatus which is inexpensive and simple to manufacture and operate. It has a minimum number of parts, none of which are intricate in construction, but all of which combine in a novel way to effectively produce the desired results of suspending a bottle.

It will also be noted that I have provided a self-tightening bottle suspending apparatus which will tighten its grip on a bottle when the weight of the bottle is carried by it. The bottle may be readily fastened to a support by means of the cord, and may be left hanging safely therefrom because the weight of the hanging bottle causes my apparatus to tighten its grip on the bottle. This provides a convenient means of storing baby nursing bottles and the like when they need to be kept available in such places as an automobile.

It should also be observed that I have provided guiding means cooperatively associated with my bottle suspending apparatus to direct the suspending and tightening cord when shifted into proper relationship with the bottle-gripping portion of. my apparatus. This will cause a positive gripping action of my apparatus on the bottle.

It will be apparent that I have provided apparatus for suspending a bottle, which will not interfere with normal uses of the bottle such as the filling of the bottle or removing the contents therefrom, or the capping and uncapping operations.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, detail, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for suspending a bottle having an annular bead or enlargement adjacent the upper end thereof, a pair of arcuate, concavely opposed, and elongated supporting elements being interconnected and combinatively defining a single encirclement adapted to encompassing such a bottle and to engage the entire periphery of both the bead and the encircled bottle; one of said elements having means for slidably carrying the other of said elements, said means receiving the same at opposite ends of said first mentioned element; the other of said elements being flexible and having end portions extending through said first mentioned element and thence in a direction longitudinal of the bottle, toward and beyond the opening thereof; whereby when said supporting elements engage the bead and bottle, a tension force applied to the extended end portions of the flexible element and in the direction of their extension will cause the said pair of supporting elements to tighten around and grip the neck of such a bottle.

2. In apparatus for suspending a bottle having a bead or enlargement adjacent the upper end thereof, an elongated flexible member having suspending portions extending longitudinally of the bottle from opposite sides thereof toward and beyond the bottle opening and having a loop element joining said suspending portions of said member; a bead-engaging yoke having means for slidably carrying said flexible member and from which said suspending portions of the flexible member extend, said yoke being adapted to partially encircle such a bottle; said loop element being adapted to encircle the remainder of the bottle; said yoke and said loop element thereby defining a single distendible and constrictible encirclement adapted to engage both the outer periphery of the bottle and the bead thereof; said flexible member being operatively associated with said yoke whereby when said loop element and said yoke engage the bead and bottle, a tension force applied to the suspending portions of the flexible member and in the direction of their extension will cause said loop element and said yoke to tighten around and grip the bottle.

3. In apparatus for suspending a bottle having a head or enlargement adjacent the upper end thereof, an elongated flexible member having suspending portions and a loop element joining said suspending portions of said member; a removable bottle closure adapted to grip the bottle adjacent the opening thereof and having guiding elements afiixed thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, said guiding elements being adapted to receive and guide the suspending portions of said flexible member; said suspending portions of the flexible member extending longitudinally of the bottle from opposite sides thereof and through the guiding mechanism of the bottle cap; a bead-engaging yoke having means for slidably carrying said flexible member and from which said suspending portions of the flexible member extend, said yoke being adapted to partially encircle such a bottle, said loop element being adapted to encircle the remainder of the bottle; said yoke and said loop element being adapted to engage both the outer periphery of the bottle and the bead thereof; said flexible member being operatively associated with said yoke and means thereof, whereby when said loop element and said yoke engage the bead and bottle, a tension force applied to the suspending portions of the flexible member and in the direction of their extension will cause said loop element and said yoke to tighten around and grip the bottle.

4. In apparatus for suspending a bottle having a bead or enlargement adjacent the upper end thereof, a beadengaging substantially tubular yoke being adapted to partially encircle and engage such a bottle; an integral and continuous cord having portions thereof extending through said yoke to provide a bight portion in said cord which is adapted to partially encircle and engage the remainder of the bottle, and the main portions of the cord extending upwardly from said yoke; whereby when the yoke and bight portion of the cord engage the bead and bottle, an upwardly directed tension force applied to the main portions of the cord will cause the bight portions thereof and the yoke to tighten around and grip the bottle. I

5. In apparatus for suspending a bottle having a bead or enlargement adjacent the upper end thereof, an integral and continuous cord having suspending portions extending longitudinally of the bottle from opposite sides thereof toward and beyond the bottle opening; a bead-engaging, substantially tubular yoke adapted to partially encircle and engage such a bottle; said cord extending from the suspending portion thereof through said yoke and thence extending in a full convolution through said yoke again to afford a bight portion in said cord, which is adapted to partially encircle and engage the remainder of the bottle, whereby when the yoke and bight portion of the cord engage the bead and bottle, a tension force applied to the suspending portions of the cord in the direction of their extension will cause said yoke and bight portion to tighten around and grip the bottle.

6. The structure recited in claim 5 and a pair of apertured appendages removably mounted on such a bottle adjacent the opening thereon and extending outwardly therefrom and said appendages receiving the suspending portions of the cord through the apertures thereof for guiding the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 298,371 Graver May 13, 1884 1,035,088 High Aug. 6, 1912 1,596,076 Clancy Aug. 17, 1926 unda- 

